Bicycle frame or the like



Oct. 4-, 1938.- E. E. PEASE BICYCLE FRAME OR THE LIKE Filed May 25, 1956 v 2 sheetssheet l 1 w WEEEIEEII m, Q9.

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E. E. PEASE v BICYCLE FRAME OR THE LIKE Oct. 4, 1938.

Filed May 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented a. 4,1938

BICYCLE FRAME OR THE LIKE' Earl E. Pcase, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Battery Patents Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 25, 1936, Serial No. 81,776'

. .An object of the invention is to provide a bicycle'frame of sturdy construction well adapted to withstand the shocks to which such a frame is .likelyto be subjected. A further object is to provide a bicycle frame which will absorb road shocks and yield greater comfort to the rider of the bicycle. Other objects and advantages will appear as the-specification proceeds.

f The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment by the accompanying drawings in Which- I Figure 1 is aside View in elevation of a bicycle frame embodying my invention; Figure 2, a plan view of :the bicycle frame; Figure 3, a sectional view asseen from line 3 of Figure 1; Figure 4, a detail view'partly in; section showing the spring connecting the rear wheel shaft support to the hangermember, the section being taken as along line 4 of Figure 3; Figure 5, a fragmentary sectional view showing the cluster casting, the section being taken along line '5 of Figure 1; and Figure 6, a fragmentary sectional view showing the frame cross support, the section being taken along line 6 of Figure 1. i

:In the illustrations A designates a rear wheel shaft support; B, the top tube members; and C, suitable connecting; members for joining the tubes and supports.

JIfhe connecting members 0 include a head It] which receives the steering shaft, a cluster member; II which holds the seat post, and a hanger l2 which provides a; bearing for the drive axle. Preferably these members are cast of some light strong metal such as aluminum alloy.

;The rearwheel shaft support A is fastened atxo'ne end to the hanger casting I2 by means of a spring l3, and is provided at its rearward end with the supporting heads I4. Spring l3, as herein shown, .is a laminated type spring, the laminations being discontinuous and secured together by a central bolt l5. One end of the spring is secured within ears l6 projecting on the rear side of the hanger casting by a bolt l1, and the other end is secured within ears I8 on the U-shaped piece l9 by bolts 20. At the end of each leg of piece 59 are the heads M which are of well known construction, being equipped with a slot and screw for mounting on the rear wheel shaft. On top of heads M are the slight extensions M providing means for pivotal attachment to frame members.

Connecting hangercasting l2 with head casting I0 is a front supporting tube 2|, and con necting hanger casting l2 with cluster casting l l is a seat supporting tube 22. Members It, I l, and I2 are adapted to receive the ends of these tubes and. the joints are formed in well known manner.

Thetop tube members B include a curved tube 23 having its ends secured in castings l0 and l l, and the curved tube members 24 and 25.

Curved tube members 24 and 25 have their foremost ends secured side by side at an even level in the top portion of head casting ID. From 'casting l0 tubes 24 and 25 follow a slightly upward direction and begin to diverge somewhat. They reach the highest. point of curvature and begin a slightly downward-course at a point for ward of the cluster casting,pbut continue their slight divergence. At the cluster casting tubes 24 and 25 proceed through the slotted arms of this casting and continue to diverge with only very slight downward curvature. At a point to the rear of head l4 tubes 24 and 25 are given greater downward curvature and their ends turned forward to form loops 26 and 21, as shown by Figure 1. The ends of the tubes are flattened and adapted to be attached to heads M by bolts 28 to form pivoted joints.

To the rear of cluster casting H and attached to each of tubes 24 and 25 is the cross support 29, which consists of a metal piece 3!) having arms 3| adapted to fit over tubes 24 and 25, and a bottom piece 32fastened to piece'30 by screws 33 and adapted to clamp tubes 24 and 25 within arms 3|. 7

Below the front portion of tube members 24 and 25 is the single tube 23. This tube connects the lower part of castings l0 and I! and has the 35 same'vertical curvature as does tubes 24 and To accommodate the unusual arrangement of the top tube members clustercasting II is provided at its top portion with the laterally extending arms 32 shown more clearly in Figure 5 40 of the drawings. Near the ends of arms 32 are circular openings 33 having a diameter equivalent to that of the tubes 24 and 25. Between openings 33 is a horizontal slot 34, and extending perpendicularly to slot 33 are bolts 35 which when tightened tend to tightly secure the tubes 24 and 25 in the casting. At the rear side of casting H a central slot 36 extends downwardly from slot 34, and ears 31 at the sides of the slot receive a bolt 38 which when tightened securely 5O clamps a seat post within the casting.

In the operation of my bicycle frame I find that most of 1 the usual road shocks ordinarily transmitted through the rear axle to the frame are absorbed in my improved frame structure.

When the rear wheel strikes a bump, or whenever a shock is transmitted to head I4, spring l3 yields to allow part of the shock to waste itself. The yielding of spring I3 allows head M to turn somewhat and if head M were rigidly connected to some member joining with the cluster casting this turning would itself impart a shock to the rider. To overcome this I attach tubes 24 and 25 to the head [4 at pivoted joints. By this construction the operation of the spring is not impeded, and shock due to its action is prevented.

Such construction also operates to eliminate a large part of the shock in a direction upward from the pivot at head M. The long sweeping curves of tube members 24 and 25, which end in the loops 26 and Z1, lend resilience to these members, and though strong and sturdy in construction these members will yield to take up most of this vertical shock. I

Another advantage in such construction is in the increased strength provided. The curved top tube members extending in one piece from the head casting to the rear wheel shaft support present a much stronger structure than the ordinary type in which one member connects the rear wheel shaft supportto the cluster cast ing' and another connects the cluster casting to the head casting. Also the divergence of the curved tube members lends strength by increasing their moment in resistance of strain. While in the foregoing illustrated description I have set forth a specific preferred structure, it will be understood that considerable variation may be made in the details of construction with out departing from the spirit of my invention. The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A bicycle frame comprising: head, cluster and hanger members; a rear wheel shaft support; tubes connecting said members and said support, said tubes including a pair of tubes connected at one end to said head member and pivotally connected at their other endto said'rear wheel shaft support, said pair of tubes being secured to said cluster member.

2. A bicycle frame comprising: head, cluster and hanger members; a rear wheel shaft support; and tubes connecting said members and said support, said tubes including a pair of curved tubes extending from said head member to; a point rearward of said rear wheel shaft support, the rear end of said curved tubes being turned forward and pivotally attached to said rear wheel shaft support, said curved tubes being secured at their middle portion to said cluster member.

3. A bicycle frame comprising: head, cluster 7 and hanger members; a rear wheel shaft support; and tubes connecting said members and said support, said tubes including a rearwardly diverging pair of tubes secured at their one end to said head member and pivotally secured at their other end to said rear wheel shaft support. 5. A bicycle frame comprising: head, cluster and hanger members; a rear wheel shaft support; and tubes connecting said members and said support, said tubes including a pair of curved tubes secured in the top portions of said head and cluster members and pivotally connected to said rear wheel shaft support, and including also a curved tubehaving its ends secured in the lower portions of said head and cluster members.

6. A bicycle frame comprising: head, cluster and hanger members, said cluster member being equipped with arms having openings therein; a rear wheel shaft support; and tubes connecting said members and said support, said tubes including a pair of rearwardly diverging tubes secured at their foremost ends to said head member and at their central portion within the arms of said cluster member, the lower ends of said diverging tubes being curved forwardly to form a spring loop, said lower ends being pivotally attached to said rear wheel shaft support.

'7. A bicycle frame comprising: head, hanger and cluster members; a rear wheel shaft support; tubes connecting said members and said support, said tubes including a pair of rearwardly diverging tubes secured at their foremost ends to said head member and at their central portions to said cluster member, said diverging tubes having a slight arch between said head and cluster members and extending rearward of said cluster members with only slight curvature, said diverging tubes being curved in parabolic fashion at their rear portions and having their ends pivotally connected to said rear wheel shaft support; and a cross support rearward of said cluster member connecting said diverging tubes.

8. A bicycle frame comprising: head, cluster and hanger members; a rear wheel shaft support; tubes connecting said members and said support, said tubes including a pair of rearwardly diverging curved tubes extending from said head member to a point rearward of said shaft support, the rear end of said curved tubes being turned forward and pivotally attached to said shaft support; and a spring connecting said shaft support to said hanger member.

EARL PEASE. 

